When Rules Meet the Final Whistle: Morocco’s Legal Gambit in AFCON’s Senegal Saga
20 January 2026
Morocco escalates the dispute to FIFA and CAF. In a formal statement, the federation says it has filed complaints with FIFA and CAF against the Senegal Football Federation, stemming from events in the Africa Cup of Nations final.
Morocco contends that Senegal’s players left the pitch for more than 15 minutes, hurting their chances and notably affecting Ibrahim Diaz, who was responsible for taking the penalty that Senegal withdrew over.
According to the Spanish newspaper AS, the legal framework Morocco relies on is Article 82, Section 35 of CAF rules concerning withdrawals.
Specifically, Article 82 states: "If a team withdraws from the competition for any reason, fails to appear for a match, refuses to play, or leaves the pitch before the end without the referee’s permission, it is deemed a loser and eliminated from the current competition. The same applies to teams previously expelled by CAF."
Morocco argues there were sufficient grounds to end the final when most Senegalese players and the coaching staff left the field.
Moreover, Ibrahim Mbaye, a Paris Saint‑Germain player, began a locker-room chat on Snapchat after the withdrawal, posting a provocative comment: "We are being robbed." He apologized within hours.
This fact, alongside other evidence captured on camera, forms the legal basis for Morocco to prove that Senegal withdrew and that Article 82 should have been applied.
In fact, Article 83 adds details on procedures: "Any team not present on the pitch, wearing the match kit, at the start time or within 15 minutes after, is deemed a loser. The referee notes the absence in his report, and the organizing committee makes the final decision."
The problem for Morocco is that despite the rules, the match was resumed with the referee’s and both teams’ consent, which contradicts their formal protest afterward.
AS reports that it seems unlikely there will be competitive penalties imposed on the Moroccan federation; however, disciplinary sanctions could target the Senegalese officials involved in what stands as one of the most embarrassing incidents in recent African football history.
Punchline 1: When a final becomes a courtroom drama, the only thing sharper than the knives is the paperwork.
Punchline 2: If whistleblowing were an Olympic sport, this match would set a world record for pages of regulation—proof that timing isn’t everything, rules are.
